March 31, 2023 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tristan Jarry turned away 27 shots to outduel Juuse Saros and the Pittsburgh Penguins edged Nashville 2-0. Jason Zucker scored his 26th goal in the second period to give Jarry all the help he would need on his way to his 13th career shutout. Jake Guentzel provided some breathing room with a power-play goal in the later stages of the third period. Pittsburgh held on to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the victory. Juuse Saros made 43 saves for the Predators but Nashville fell a game after stunning NHL-leading Boston on the road.
March 31, 2023 2:28 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — Oneil Cruz homered shortly after a pitch clock violation and later drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on opening day. The game was played in 3 hours, 2 minutes under new rules this season designed to speed things up. There were a combined 15 walks and 26 strikeouts, and one pitch clock violation for each team. Spencer Steer homered for Cincinnati. Rob Zastryzny got the win. Buck Farmer took the loss. David Bednar fanned two in the ninth for the save.
March 30, 2023 3:50 am
A major shift is coming to Major League Baseball, starting on opening day this Thursday. New rules are now in effect. There will be clocks at stadiums to hurry along pitchers and hitters, and there are restrictions on defensive shifts for fielders. The full slate of 15 games includes matchups at Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge will aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani will be trending with every pitch and swing and Houston manager Dusty Baker is trying to win another World Series ring.
March 30, 2023 3:48 am
Penn State has hired VCU’s Mike Rhoades to be its men’s basketball coach. The Pennsylvania native takes over a program coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade. The Penn State board of trustees approved a seven-year deal worth $25.9 million for Rhoades. He replaces Micah Shrewsberry, who was hired away by Notre Dame last week. Penn State is coming off its first NCAA appearance since 2011 and first NCAA victory since 2001. Rhoades was 129-61 in six seasons as head coach at VCU, including three NCAA Tournament bids. A few hours after Rhoades’ hire was announced on Wednesday, VCU announced it hired Utah State coach Ryan Odom to replace him.
March 29, 2023 3:56 am
DETROIT (AP) — David Perron had a hat trick in the third period and the Detroit Red Wings overcame the ejection of coach Derek Lalonde to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-4. Perron posted his ninth career three-goal game. He scored on a wrist shot early in the third, put Detroit ahead 5-4 on the power play with 3:40 left and added his 19th goal of the season 45 seconds later. Lalonde was assessed a game misconduct during the second period. He profanely argued after unsuccessfully challenging Pittsburgh’s third goal on a claim of goalie interference. Detroit squandered an early three-goal lead and won for just the fourth time in 16 games.
March 29, 2023 3:58 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Dan Snyder’s departure from the NFL is moving closer to reality. A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully financed bids for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Two people confirmed the bid from Harris. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because details of the bid have not been publicly announced. The Harris/Rales group includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also has been in the running. Snyder had yet to accept an offer when the league’s finance committee met Monday so his future wasn’t openly discussed.
March 28, 2023 3:50 am
SEATTLE (AP) — South Carolina is two wins away from completing the 10th undefeated season in women’s college basketball history. The Gamecocks headline a Final Four that features tons of star power and the return of a school to the game’s grandest stage in 30 years. South Carolina, which is led by Aliyah Boston, will face Iowa and Caitlin Clark in one semifinal. LSU will play Virginia Tech in the other matchup Friday night. It’s the Hokies first trip to the Final Four in school history. Coach Kenny Brooks is the third Black male coach to take a team this far in NCAA women’s basketball history. Dallas will host the national semifinals this weekend as well as the Division II and III championship games.
March 28, 2023 3:48 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Georgia Amoore added 24 points and top-seeded Virginia Tech advanced to the Final Four for the first time in school history with an 84-74 win over No. 3 seed Ohio State in the Seattle 3 Regional final. Playing in its first regional final, Virginia Tech won its 15th straight game and will head to the Final Four having not lost in more than two months. The Hokies will face LSU in the national semifinals on Friday in Dallas. Taylor Mikesell led Ohio State with 25 points, but 19 of those came in the first half.V
March 28, 2023 3:51 am
Lamar Jackson says he has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens, saying the team “has not been interested in meeting my value.” The star quarterback said Monday in a series of tweets that he requested a trade as of March 2. On March 7, the Ravens put the nonexclusive franchise tag on Jackson and said they were still hopeful they could reach a long-term deal with him. That version of the franchise tag allowed Jackson to negotiate with other teams, but it also gives Baltimore a chance to match any agreement he makes.
March 27, 2023 1:56 am
WJPA-AM (1450) is your radio home for all the action, running right through the Women’s & Men’s National Championship Games April 2-3. You can also listen online through our partnership with Westwood One and the NCAA! Our Men’s coverage includes feature games each day with expanded coverage through the national semifinals. And the Women’s Tournament returns to WJPA with Sweet 16, Regional Finals and Final Four action. WJPA-AM (1450) Listen Here
Saturday, March 25
Men’s Elite 8 (Regional Finals)
#9 Florida Atlantic 79, #3 Kansas State 76
#4 Connecticut 82, #3 Gonzaga 43
Women’s Sweet 16
#2 Maryland 76, #3 Notre Dame 59
#1 South Carolina 59, #4 UCLA 43
#3 Ohio State 73, #2 Connecticut 61
#1 Virginia Tech 73, #4 Tennessee 64
Sunday, March 26
Men’s Elite 8 (Regional Finals)
#5 San Diego State 57, #6 Creighton 56
#5 Miami 88, #2 Texas 81
Women’s Elite 8 (Regional Finals)
#3 LSU 54, #9 Miami 42
#2 Iowa 97, #5 Louisville 83
Monday, March 27
Women’s Elite 8 (Regional Finals)
6:45 pm #1 South Carolina vs. #2 Maryland
9:05 pm #1 Virginia Tech vs. #3 Ohio State
